Parents nudging out Santa

Some South Florida homes don't take up the holiday tale

"It's silly," said the sixth-grader from Deerfield Beach. "The reason we celebrate Christmas is Jesus."

The boy's mother, Katrina Ammons, is one of a small but passionate group of South Florida parents who, for reasons mostly religious, have chosen to inform their children that the jolly old soul from the North Pole isn't real.

As the big day approaches, that means no young ears straining to hear the footfall of reindeer on the roof, no leaving out milk and cookies, no staying up to try and spot a big-bellied visitor in red bearing presents.

Some might accuse these mothers and fathers of being Grinches. The parents counter that they mean to redirect the focus of Christmas away from things secular and materialistic and onto Scripture and family.

Other factors influencing their decision: the desire to be honest with their children, to spare them the trauma of learning later that Santa is fictional, and to make kids understand that gifts cost money and are not limitless.

"I work in a Christian school and it is becoming more common now to see [parents] teaching our kids the truth," said Shelia Blacksheare, a Miramar mother of three who teaches at Calvary Kids, a preschool in Hollywood.

Ammons, a Deerfield Beach mother of five, agreed. "When they find out the truth it's, 'Why didn't you tell me?' So I just tell them the truth from the beginning."

"I feel that as long as you explain the true meaning of Christmas, you don't strip any of the fun away," she said.

Although psychologists say parent-child honesty is admirable, many hold that teaching young people to believe in Santa is not harmful and, in fact, can even promote spirituality by inculcating belief in something that can't be seen.

But that doesn't remove the controversy from the widespread fiction. Bruce Forbes, author of Christmas, A Candid History and professor of religious studies at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, said anti-Santa sentiment has risen in recent years along with the cultural and political power of conservative Christians. He stressed, however, that concern over the secularization of the holiday goes back centuries.

"Christmas, it's never been a purely religious holiday," he said. "People have always struggled with how to do the balance."

In fact, Forbes said, many aspects of the holiday, including the date the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated by most Christian denominations, were influenced by pagan winter festivals. In England, the Puritans attempted to outlaw Christmas in the 1600s for that reason, as well as because of a widespread association of Christmas celebrations with the Roman Catholic Church.

Santa, as we know him, did not become popular until the 1850s, Forbes said. The original Santa was an archbishop named St. Nicholas who lived in 300 A.D. in what is now Turkey. The bishop was famed for his generosity, including giving gifts to children.

Through the centuries, tales about him evolved along with his name. He lost his long bishop robes, became fat, started wearing red, and moved to the North Pole - thanks in large part to the popular poem known as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and the artwork featured in Coca-Cola advertisements.

In some European countries, the historical St. Nicholas has survived and is honored each year around Dec. 6 with presents and food. The Rev. Robert Archon of St. Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton said his church commemorates St. Nicholas in a liturgy on this day. The church also holds a weekend program explaining who the saint is to children 4-10.

"The parents aren't sure how to talk about Santa," said Archon. "If someone says, 'Is Santa real?' we say, 'Yes, he was a real person.' "

The Rev. O'Neal Dozier of the Worldwide Christian Center, a nondenominational church in Pompano Beach, discourages members from perpetuating the Santa myth. Instead, he focuses on the nativity of Christ and the deeds of St. Nicholas as a way to be truthful without dampening the holiday spirit.

"I tell them Santa is a symbolic figure, just like a mascot at the football game," he said. "Everyone sees the mascot but they know it's not real."

Religion reasons aside, Brenda Smith of Lauderdale Lakes thinks children should understand how difficult presents, and the money to purchase them, are to come by. She and her husband, who both work in social services, work long hours for modest pay to support their seven children.

"I think it's important that they know it's coming from the parents and you're not going to be able to get all 17 items on your list - especially as they grow older and they want more and more expensive items," Smith said.

Despite all these reasons, many psychologists say believing in Santa is not harmful to children or their religious faith. In fact, research shows the opposite, said Cindy Dell Clark, associate professor of human development and family studies at Pennsylvania State University, who interviewed 100 families about Santa Claus for her book Flights of Fancy, Leaps of Faith: Children's Myths in Contemporary America.

"I think Santa Claus teaches faith, the ability to suspend your disbelief and believe in something that is spiritual," she said. "As I interviewed the children, they kept telling me that God and Santa Claus know each other. They might think God has told Santa Claus who has been bad and who has been good."

Jamie Malernee can be reached at jmalernee@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4849.